Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is praying that the club’s owners have the will to turn down a £200 million offer for Mohamed Salah.

He is aware that despite his star status at Anfield, the Fenway Sports Group sees selling him for a world record sum as financially sound.

Despite Liverpool’s first rejection of a £150 million approach from Saudi Pro League team Al-Ittihad, there is optimism within the upper echelons of the Middle Eastern club that a higher offer would be approved.

That would make Klopp angry since he wouldn’t have had time to replace his goal-scoring winger with a suitable alternative.

Salah’s exit would be devastating to Liverpool’s Premier League championship hopes, despite the fact that the Saudi transfer window does not close until Thursday but business is done in this nation.

However, the footballer has informed his close pals that he is being seduced by the possibility of a staggering compensation package worth £1.5m a week and the potential to become the poster boy of his home Middle Eastern country, while making no protestations about the club’s attitude.

Salah will leave for obscenely wealthy Saudi Arabia at the end of the next season, but Klopp wants him to remain for one more season. However, Klopp has been submissive to FSG’s business arm in terms of player transfers and acquisitions on several occasions over the previous few seasons.

He’s worried that the team is cleaning out the 30 and above players to make room for younger players with more resale value. This is why Al-Ittihad, who have plenty of cash on hand and won’t accept no for an answer, continue to pose a threat to Salah.

Jamie Carragher, an icon for the Kop, said his previous club would be crazy not to consider the huge offer, even if it may mean losing their star player. “When you consider the price that Harry Kane was sold for—around £100 million—and the fact that he is just a year or two younger, with only a year left on his contract at Spurs.

Salah is in great shape and has two years left. He said as much to Sky Sports on Friday night: “For Liverpool to sell now, they aren’t going to want what he is worth, they will want more than that.”